Demand across the globe is growing to formalize lobbying activities within the democratic process and institute registries to ensure the proper disclosure of influence. In the last year, several countries and the EU passed reforms to strengthen lobbying transparency. Just a few weeks ago, the government of Ireland signed the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015, and draft bills are on the agenda in several countries, such as Scotland and Slovenia. Although much remains to be seen on the effectiveness of these laws in their implementation, it is clear that national level actors see the value of casting light into this notoriously dark aspect of the lawmaking process.

Although the lobbying climate varies significantly from country to country, in most cases, the need for disclosure on who the key players are and how this system functions is crucial in ensuring proper examination and oversight. Without available data on who has the ear of lawmakers, journalists, policy advocates and citizens don’t have the tools necessary to hold their government to account. As practitioners fight for and work to implement key reforms to increase transparency in lobbying on a national level, international disclosure norms, such as these lobbying disclosure guidelines, provide the institutional backing to support these efforts.

We’d like to extend a special thanks to Civio and Jorge Maestre Marín of El Traductor Invisible for translating the norms from English; without their help, this effort would not have been possible. The International Lobbying Disclosure Guidelines are now available in English, French and Spanish, but we are also always interested in expanding the accessibility of this resource. If you’re interested in helping translate them into your language, please contact international@sunlightfoundation.com and help bolster the effort to bring lobbying out of the shadows!